Coupler



S. M. CHASE Nov. 29, 1932.

C OUPLER Original Filed Dec. 20. 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTR .Sf/eH/ M. CHJE.

S. M. CHASE Nov. 29, 1932.

COUPLER Original Filed Dec. 2O

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.4

l NV ENT@ R Jfwaap M. :ff/15E.

BY 5MM@ Jouw ATTORNEYS Sheets-Sheet 3 s. M. CHASE COUPLER Original Filed Dec. 20. 1929' Patented Nov. ,219,1 1932 Y VuNrri-:D sTATEs PATENT OFFICE sHERwooD M. CHASE; or coLUMBUs, omo, Assieivon.V To THEcHAsE rDRY. .AND

MFG; COMPANY, O FCOLUMBS, AOHIO;` A. CORPORATION OF OHIO coUrLEn original appncationfued December 2o, 1929, serial No. 415,sss. Divided alla this application mea vDecember .31. i930.

Y This invention` relates to improvements in couplers, and has for Vits 'object they provision ofan improved coupler in which there is a -i 5 for supportingthe bailmember inY substan-y tially horizontal position. l y

It is also'an object of this invention to pro.-

vide vmeans in connection with a bail to prevent vthe lateral movement of the bail,V and for that purpose sleeves are provided onashaft` which supports the bail. These sleeves rprevent the jaws associated with vthe'bail from gripping or cramping lthe movements of the parts associatedwith ,'them.` n y These and. other advantages will appear Y from the following description taken in connection with the drawings. t Y

This is a divisional application of a co.- pending application Ser. No.4155388, filed December 20, 1929.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is a top plan view` of a truck to which the couplers are attached. Figure 2 is a sideelevation ofthe truck shown in Figure 1 with the'couplers attached thereto. Y Y l .e a f. Figure. 3 is atop plan `'view of a'slightl)T modified formof bail supportingand .bail

`operating structure.Y p t. y 4 :L

.Figurel is asidev elevationl ofthe form shown in Figure 3. f

VFigure 15is atop plan view ofaV coupler used in connectionwith the bail shown in Figure 3. Y

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Figure 5.; v y

Figure 7 is aA section on the'line 7,-7rof Figure 6.

FigureS is a section on VVthe line 8-8fof .4,0 Figure 5. '1

The reference numeral 1 is `used to .designate as a whole the truck or `frame to which applicants improved Vcoupler is attached.

Extending downwardly from the frame are bracket members 2 which supporta transverse axle 3, which has oneach end a wheel 4. Adjacent the other end ofthe truck frame are swivel wheel brackets 5 which carry wheels 6. To one end of the frame isy attached a i. bracket 7. This bracket supports a bail 8 ybyvrneansof arshaft or pivot rod 9. The bail ported by arms l2 extending `downwardly from the bail.f The springs and the weight theother one to follow.

SerialV No. 505,830.

is U-'shaped and has through itsends a hole v f p to receive the shaft or rod 9. Y pivotally mounted bail member ,and means c 69 each spring is coiled around the shaft or pivot rod 9. There is also providedand cooperating with the springs in holding the bail in horizontal positionl aweight 11, which is supcooperating with one another hold the bail in substantially horizontal position vso that it may readily engagewiththe cooperating coupler member. Cooperating with the bail and forming therewith means for uniting two trucks together is a coupler 18 which'extends `from one end of the truck. i Cooperating with" this coupl`enl31is a cooperatingV jaw 14, pifvotedat 154t0 the coupler member 13.`

This'pivoted jawfisin the formLof an upwardly directedhook member andis adapted to'x receive .the bail, such as that Vused and w "shown onthe other end of the truck found in 4Figurel.- This hook memberis provided with aweight adapted tohold it in bail-engaging positionpsuch as that shownfinFigure 2.

.When two trucks areito be unitedthe bail will engagev with the hook member and tend to force `it down, but Vafter the bail has slipped by the hook the weight thrusts the hook upward Yso that it engages the bail and holds the two trucksin cooperative engagement with each other soV that tension on one will cause Y V.In Figures 3 to 8 there `are shown slightly modified forms lof coupler members.` In the fforins yshown in these figures .thereV isa bail similar to that shown in Figures l and 2,.but

inthis form there are shown cooperating with the bail, guide arms 16 which are provided With outer. jaws 17 for engaging the bail. These guide arms extend above and belowV the bail and form broad guiding surfaces 18.

.These guide `arms are pivotallymounted Y upon the ybail shaft 9 and are connected togethei' by means of a bolt 19 which carries a The weight 23 serves to counteractany.

tendency'to' throw the bail out of vhorizontal position` and normally tends to hold the bail inl a horizontal position. The weight ofthe bail and the weight of the weightare so proto v,hold thev bail in portioned that theyl tend a horizontal position.

In the present instance, instead of using a spring between the guide arms and the lends of the bail, sleeves 25 are provided. These sleeves are arranged so'that the parts cannot move laterallyv on the shaft, yet sufficient play is allowed so that these parts will operate freely without unnecessary b'nding. It has been found that by substituting'thel sleeves instead of springs the jaws are prevented from gripping or lcrampingthe movements ofthe parts due to lateral s'rains or'blows'.

Cooperating with the bail and its associated structure shown in Figures 3 to 8, vthere is also a cooperating coupler structure. In this part of the coupler s'ructure there is a fixed jaw 26, which has on the outer end thereof an upwardly inclined cam surface 27 which'is adapted to receive and guide thebaily -in, the' process of coupling two trucks together. Extending 'vertically through the fixed jawv is a slot 28-in'which iherejisa pivotally mounted hook member29 on a shaftBO.

VThis shaft is supported in the fixed jaw.

Around the shaft and engaging the hooi;

member and some part of thev fixed jaw :sa spring 31 tending to hold thehook memberin a a downward bail-engaging position; The

hoolt part ofl the hook memberis indicated Vby the numeral .32 and is adapted to be pressed upwardly whenthe bail is forced into locking position, and after the bail has been properly .seated behind the hook, the hook member drops so 'as to engage the bail due to the action of the spring 3 1.

Cooperating with the iixed jaw and the pivoted hook memberis a pivoted jaw33 which is pivoted at 84. to theV lower end of a downward extension of the'fixed jaw 26, and is nor- 'iiially held ina horizontal position by engagiiigthe fixed j aw extensions at 33. This pivoted aw merely permits tlieupward swinging movement of all of thepivoted parts y without interfering with their holding the bail. This pivoted jaw has an inwardlyinclined surface 35 which cooperates withthe surface27 in receiving and properlyseating the bail member during the time the two trucks are beng coupled.

In order to hold the pivoted hook member in av substantially horizontal position, there is provided lon the pivoted jaw a shoulder 36 which cooperates with one part of the hook member for holding it in horizontal position but permits the jaw to be swung up at its outer end. Inorder to prevent the bail becoming detached fromthe hook, and to prevent the lateral movement of the hook when under strain, there is provided on the upper surface-of the pivoted jaw a groove 37 inthe shoulder 36' in which the tip end of the hook rests lwhenit is in normal bail-engaging position.` In order that the hook may beelevated so that threfvbail `may be released', there is provided a link 38 adapted to begrfpped by the hand of the operator'or by any other suitable meansso that'the hook may be elevated for releasing the .bail on the adjacent end of another truck. rI`here is also provided a jf'oot treadle 39' for elevating the hook so that a bail may be disengaged. By this means the person standing' on one end of the truck may,.by placing his foot lupon the treadle, disengage twoadjacent trucks. 4

I desire to comprehend within my invention such modifications las may be embraced within my claims and the scope of my invention.' Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a trailer truck, a couplertherefor consistng of a-bail pivotally mounted thereon-for vertical swinging movement, and a we'ght means supported independent of the bail tending to bring said bail to a horizontal position after being swung either up or down.

2. I n combinatioma shaft, a U-shaped bail onsaid shaft, guides pivoted on said shaft and engaging said bail, and a -spac'ng sleeve between. each end of the bail and the guides.

3. In combination, a shaft, a U-shaped bail' on said shaft, guides pivoted onv said shaft and engaging said bail, and spacing sleeves on said shaft to hold theguides spaced from the bail. Y

- 4; In combinaton, a shaft, a U-'shaped bail' on said shaft, guides pivoted to'said shaft and Y engaging said bail, means on the guides tending to maintain the bail in a certain'position, and sleeves on the shaft to hold" the guides spaced from the bail.

5. In combination, a shaft, a U-shaped bail on-,said shaft, converging guide members on said shaft and engaging "said bail, a sleeve at eac-h end of the shaft between the guide members and the bail, and means on the guidei members tending to' maintain the bail inv a certain position. In testimony whereof, I affix my si gnature.

SHERWOOD M. 'oi-insa. 

